FT: a classified group working on Ukraine aid operates inside Germany’s defense ministry

A classified working group called “Sonderstab Ukraine” operates in a specially secured wing of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence, established to provide assistance to Kyiv. This is reported by the Financial Times, citing sources and members of the group.

The unit’s level of secrecy is so high that some refer to it as a “partisan detachment.” According to the FT, the structure is capable of concluding arms procurement deals for Ukraine in as little as two weeks.

The Sonderstab is headed by Brigadier General Joachim Kaschke, a former Tornado fighter pilot who has visited Ukraine nine times.

“We have extremely short decision-making chains. That gives us speed and flexibility,” Kaschke said.

The group emerged several months after the start of hostilities in Ukraine. Initially, a situation center was established under the Ministry of Defence to track the escalation of the conflict and keep the country’s political leadership informed. In July 2022, the Sonderstab was formed on its basis.

Christian Freuding, who led the group until last year and subsequently became commander of Germany’s army, described the working conditions in the early stages:

“At the beginning we worked around the clock, in shifts. You couldn’t just say: ‘Well, it’s five o’clock in the evening, we’re going home,'” he said.

According to the FT, Germany began paying for deliveries of Quantum drones to Ukraine and also started purchasing other types of weapons directly from German manufacturers: Kyiv would provide a list of required armaments, and Berlin would foot the bill. Reserve officer Matthias Puschnig explained the logic behind this approach:

“We quickly realized that to provide Ukraine with fundamental support, we needed to engage our industry. And at the same time, German companies recognized what opportunities this opened up.”

Then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz had been holding back from supplying Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, but gave his approval for the transfer of the IRIS-T air defense system to Kyiv — the Sonderstab secured the funding for it.

According to an FT source, the group consists of fewer than 20 people who “understand what works” and what amounts to mere “overrated, showy nonsense.” Last year, after US President Donald Trump sharply reduced the volume of military support for Ukraine, Germany became the largest supplier of military aid to Kyiv. To date, Berlin has directed nearly €58 billion toward weapons for Ukraine. Over the past year, the Sonderstab has also become a platform for interaction between the military agencies and defense enterprises of Germany and Ukraine.